Chicago Taxi Fuel Surcharge Returns as Gas Prices Stay Above $5

Chicago taxi drivers have some relief from high gasoline prices. The city has brought back its temporary taxi fuel surcharge, allowing drivers to add between $1 and $3 to a trip depending on the metered fare.

The surcharge took effect on October 21, 2026, after Chicago gasoline prices remained above the level required by the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.

How much can taxi drivers charge?

The surcharge is based on the metered fare before taxes, tolls and other charges:

• $20 or less: $1

• $20.01 to $40: $2

• $40.01 or more: $3

The charge is temporary. BACP permits it when both AAA's current average and month-ago average price for regular gasoline in Chicago reach at least $5 per gallon. The city will remove the surcharge when the fuel-price requirement is no longer met.

Drivers should not treat the fee as a permanent fare increase. BACP can end it when gasoline prices fall.

Drivers must display the city notice

Taxi drivers who collect the surcharge must post the official city notice inside the cab where passengers can clearly see it. The notice should be placed next to the taxi fare-rate information sheet.

Drivers should also make sure they use the correct fare level. The surcharge is calculated from the meter amount before taxes, tolls and additional fees.

The practical steps are simple: print the current BACP notice, display it correctly and watch city announcements so the charge is removed when authorization ends.

Some Uber drivers are seeing larger bonuses

Uber is also offering substantial completion bonuses to some drivers as the holiday travel season approaches. One reported offer promised $525 for completing 45 trips within a short period. Other offers were worth roughly $10 to $12 for each required trip.

These promotions are targeted. There is no confirmed Chicago-wide offer, and two drivers in the same market may see different promotions—or no promotion at all.

Chicago Uber drivers should check the Promotions or Opportunities section of the Driver app. Before accepting a challenge, divide the bonus by the required number of trips and consider fuel, maintenance, unpaid pickup miles and the time limit. A large headline amount is not useful if the trip target forces a driver to accept unprofitable work.

Delivery-robot lawsuits could affect the local market later

Two proposed class-action lawsuits filed in Cook County accuse Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics of collecting facial or hand data through delivery robots without proper consent. Both companies deny the allegations.

The cases do not change anything immediately for DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub couriers. They are still worth watching because a court ruling or a change to Chicago's sidewalk-robot program could affect how many deliveries are handled by robots instead of human couriers.

No new airport pickup changes this week

No confirmed change was announced this week for taxi, livery or rideshare pickup areas, staging procedures or driver fees at O'Hare or Midway.

Drivers should continue following airport signs and the pickup instructions shown in their dispatch or rideshare app. Social-media claims about airport changes should not be treated as official unless they are confirmed by the Chicago Department of Aviation, BACP or the driver's platform.

What Chicago drivers should do this week

• Taxi drivers should print and display the fuel-surcharge notice before collecting the fee.

• Taxi drivers should use the correct $1, $2 or $3 charge based on the metered fare.

• Uber drivers should check their own accounts for targeted promotions and calculate whether an offer is profitable.

• Delivery drivers should watch the robot lawsuits, but no immediate action is required.

• Airport drivers should continue using the existing O'Hare and Midway pickup procedures.

ChicagoDrivers.com (opens in a new tab) will continue monitoring BACP announcements, airport operations and platform changes that affect driver earnings and working conditions.

Sources

• Chicago BACP Public Vehicle Industry Notices (opens in a new tab)

• Chicago Ride Smart taxi information (opens in a new tab)

• CBS Chicago: Taxi fuel surcharge in effect (opens in a new tab)

• ABC7 Chicago: Taxi fuel surcharge takes effect (opens in a new tab)

• Uber: How driver promotions work (opens in a new tab)

• Business Insider: Uber offers targeted driver bonuses (opens in a new tab)

• Associated Press: Chicago delivery-robot lawsuits (opens in a new tab)

• O'Hare taxi, livery and rideshare information (opens in a new tab)

• Midway taxi, livery and rideshare information (opens in a new tab)